The presidency of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) announced on Sunday that U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres replied to a letter written by TRNC President Tufan Erhürman and branded moves by Greek Cypriots as “discouraging.”
Erhürman sent a letter to Guterres in August, complaining that the Greek Cypriot administration sought to ban cultural and sports events such as music festivals and a football camp by Spanish club Barcelona on the Turkish side of the divided island.
A statement by the presidency said that Guterres lamented the fact that these may prevent building confidence between two sides on the island.
Cyprus has remained divided for more than five decades between the Turkish Cypriot north and the Greek Cypriot south despite a series of diplomatic efforts by the U.N. to achieve a comprehensive settlement. The TRNC was established in 1983 and is recognized only by Türkiye, while the Greek Cypriot administration represents the island internationally and joined the European Union in 2004.
Turkish officials and leaders in Turkish Cyprus have increasingly advocated a two-state solution to the dispute, arguing that decades of United Nations-led negotiations for a federal settlement have failed to produce results.
In his letter, Guterres drew attention to the need to continue cooperation and confidence building between the two sides, noting that they were necessary to launch the process for a lasting solution. Underlining the importance of implementing confidence-building measures as a priority, Guterres said he had instructed his personal envoy to continue working with both sides on the implementation of these initiatives, according to a statement by the TRNC presidency. He also said he had requested that all relevant actors be reminded that actions undermining efforts to build trust, including the cancellation of events, ran counter to joint efforts. At the end of his letter, the U.N. secretary-general reaffirmed his commitment to supporting efforts to find a solution to the Cyprus issue.
A similar message was conveyed in a response dated Oct. 6, 2026, to a letter Erhürman had sent to the European Commission on Aug. 28, 2026, on the same issue. The commission stressed the importance of building trust between Turkish Cypriots and Greek Cypriots and fostering a positive atmosphere. Quoting the 2004 European Union Council decision on ending the isolation of Turkish Cypriots, it highlighted the goals of building bridges between Turkish Cypriots and the EU, promoting dialogue and fostering closer ties. The European Commission also said that civil society and private organizations contributing to the socioeconomic development of Turkish Cypriots, particularly young people, were in line with the goal of establishing closer relations between Turkish Cypriots and the EU.
